Retired generals can often be "weapons of significant destruction", and General Sir Mike Jackson is the latest to fulfil that description. He has criticised the way that the Ministry of Defence runs the armed forces and has stated that the needs of soldiers and their families are being neglected in favour of "affordability".

Some have criticised him for speaking out, but as a private citizen and not a serving officer as was the case with General Sir Richard Dannatt, he is perfectly entitled to make public the concerns that he had previously made in private to the government.

In a sense, however, he is attacking the wrong target. It is not the Ministry of Defence that is ultimately responsible for whatever failings there may be in relation to bad pay and poor living conditions. It is rather the responsibility of the Treasury and the government as a whole to ensure that our armed forces are adequately provided for.

Britain is currently in a state of indefinite war in Iraq and Afghanistan. Since the end of the second world war, our involvement in armed conflict has never been as intense and long-term as it is now.

While the Falklands and the Gulf wars were won relatively quickly, wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have been ongoing for a number of years and show little sign of diminishing in their intensity. More than 125 servicemen and women have been killed in Iraq alone, and many have been seriously injured.

When, against this background, the provision of accommodation and salaries fails to meet an adequate standard then anger within the armed forces is justified and understandable. John Reid, the then defence secretary, declared earlier this year that "we would be perfectly happy to leave Helmand Province in three years and without firing one shot because our job is to protect the reconstruction". In saying this he was, however unintentionally, highlighting the confusion in government policy. It is this lack of clarity that is contributing to the disillusionment within our armed forces.

That many in our armed forces feel undervalued is a great problem. They are the ones risking their lives, and have been doing so for some time now. The MoD, if it is to improve the way that our soldiers are treated, is reliant upon the government, the prime minister and the Treasury to set aside sufficient funding and resources. Defence is a costly business, but if the prime minister wants to have an active foreign policy then he must be prepared to pay for it.